Chapter 5 Chemicals for Consumers

C. MEDICINES

• Used to prevent or cure diseases or relieve pain.

• Classified as:

Traditional medicines

Modern medicines

Traditional Medicine • Derived from plants or animals

• These include:

Aloe vera (lidah buaya)

Centella asiatica (pegaga)

Eurycoma longifolia (tongkat ali)

Orthosiphon aristatus (misai kucing)

Andrographis paniculata (hempedu bumi)

Ocimum basilicum (selasih)

Modern Medicine

• Made by scientists in laboratories and based on substances found in nature

• Types of modern medicine:

Analgesics

Antibiotics

Psychotherapeutic medicine

Modern Medicine Analgesics

• Used to relieve pain without causing numbness or affecting consciousness

• Common analgesics:

Aspirin

Paracetamol

Codeine

Analgesics Aspirin

• Used worldwide for pain relief

• Acidic (acetylsalicylic acid) – best taken after food

• Should never be given to children, can cause brain and liver damage

Analgesics Paracetamol

• Relieve mild to moderate pain

• Like headache, muscle and joint pain, backache and period pains

• Can be given to children – it does not irritate the stomach or cause it to bleed

• Overdose: Can cause liver damage

Analgesics Codeine

• Stronger analgesic used in headache tablets and in cough medicines

• Cause drowsiness when it is taken

• Abuse of this medicine – lead to addiction, depression and nausea

Modern Medicine Antibiotics

• Used to treat infections caused by bacteria as they kill or slow down the growth of bacteria

• Obtained from misroorganisms – bacteria and fungi

• Side effect – slight headache, allergic, diarrhoea

• Make sure take full course of the antibiotics – to make sure all the bacteria are killed

Antibiotics

Penicillin • Extracted from fungus Penicillium notatum • Used to cure bacterial diseases such as

tuberculosis (TB) and pheumonia Streptomycin • Produced by soil bacteria of the genus

Streptomyces • Used to treat tuberculosis, whooping cough and

some forms of pneumonia

Modern Medicine Psychotherapeutic medicine

• Used to alter abnormal thinking, feelings or behaviours

• Reduce symptoms of mental illness

• Classification:

Stimulant

Antidepressant

Antipsychotic

Psychotherapeutic medicine Stimulant

• A medicine which activates the level of activity arousal or alertness of the central nervous system to reduce fatigue and elevate mood in most people

• Example: Methyphenidate, dextroamphetamine and amphetamine

• High doses: Can lead to anxiety, hallucinations, severe depressions, or physical & psychological dependence

Psychotherapeutic medicine Antidepressant

• A medicine used primarily in the treatment of depression

• Example: tranquilizers and barbiturates

Antidepressant Tranquilizers

• Used to calm down a person, reduce tension and anxiety

• Side effect: drowsiness, poor coordination or light-headedness

• Overdose: respiratory difficulties, sleeplessness, come and even death

Antidepressant Barbiturates

• Used to calm or relax most individuals at low doses

• High dose: sleep

• Overdose: sometimes kill themselves accidentally

Psychotherapeutic medicine Antipsychotic

• A medicine used to treat psychiatric illness such as schizophrenia

• Example: chlorpromazine, haloperidol and clozapine

• Side effect: drowsiness, rapid heartbeat and dizziness

Side Effects of Modern Medicine